ND's NCAA Tournament Hopes

[sportallyr]

This may have been discussed in other threads, but, with the season winding down, I figured it deserved a thread of it's own.

After yesterday's win vs Marquette, the Irish should be in a position to finish the season strong and get another decent seed in the tourney. The Irish are 5-3 vs ranked teams, which gives the Irish the most wins vs ranked teams than anybody else in the country. ND has 8 games left, 4 at home and 4 on the road. They only play one more ranked opponent (@#14 Georgetown on 2/27) and every one of the other remaining games are against teams that are currently in the bottom 1/2 of the Big East (Rutgers, St. Johns, Providence, DePaul, Villanova and 2 vs West Virginia).

The knocks on the Irish are that they went 0-4 in non-conference games to Major Conference opponents (losing to Missouri, Georgia, Maryland and Indiana), they lost to Gonzaga and the rest of their non-conference games were all pretty much cupcakes (one could argue that Detroit is not a cupcake game, but they are a 13-12 team this season).

I believe that if they go 4-4 and finish the season at 19-12, they should be a lock for the NCAA tourney, regardless of how well they perform in the Big East tournament. If they lose 5 of the remaining games, they will probably need to get a win or two in the BE tourney to get in.

 

[ACamp1900]

I agree... finish .500 or better and maybe get a one in the conference tourney and it shouldn't even be in doubt...

 

[anarin]

The future is bright, this could be the start of something special for years to come. I say that knowing what recruiting class we have coming in.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Not having a tough non-conference schedule with no big wins will hurt them, but beating Syracuse and Marquette and UConn makes up for it. The RPI still isn't great though, and losses to Rutgers and Georgia look pretty bad.

 

[Irish2015]

The kid we have commited Cameron Biedscheid may get into the mcdonald's all star game and has a decent shot at getting his 5th star. He's a monster apparently he's averaging 33 points a game.

 

[Mr. McGibblets]

Even if they dont finish .500 i think they are in based on BE reputation. I dont know how UCONN Beat them at home. Granted, i dont think they knew who they were as a team yet, but they look as good as any top 15 team in the country. As a UCONN fan, I need the Irish to win out to make their win look better.

One thing is for sure, Grant is a serious player. I like him a whole lot.

 

[DillonHall]

Even if they dont finish .500 i think they are in based on BE reputation. I dont know how UCONN Beat them at home. Granted, i dont think they knew who they were as a team yet, but they look as good as any top 15 team in the country. As a UCONN fan, I need the Irish to win out to make their win look better.

One thing is for sure, Grant is a serious player. I like him a whole lot.

The Big East is definitely down this year. I think we need to go 6-2 the rest of the regular season to guarantee a spot. Otherwise we need to win a couple games in the conference tournament.

 

[North Buffalo Irish]

Not having a tough non-conference schedule with no big wins will hurt them, but beating Syracuse and Marquette and UConn makes up for it. The RPI still isn't great though, and losses to Rutgers and Georgia look pretty bad.

Missouri, Gonzaga, Maryland, Indiana... the OOC games were there, we were just a bad team back then and got smoked by everyone good.

The committee has said that they look at how a team plays in the second half of the season. If the Irish can win the remaining home games (DePaul, Rutgers, WVU, Providence) and steal one on the road (WVU, Nova, SJU, G'Town) then they should be in fairly comfortably, especially if they win their first game in the BET.

20 wins when all is said and done, and there's no way the Irish aren't in.

 

[Irish2015]

The Big East is definitely down this year. I think we need to go 6-2 the rest of the regular season to guarantee a spot. Otherwise we need to win a couple games in the conference tournament.

I think its more like 4-4 to get a spot. I doubt we'll go 4-4 though with how this team is playing.

 

[NDPhilly]

Cameron Bieldshied is currently being considered for McDonalds All American. The teams will be released sometime this week.

 

[DillonHall]

I think its more like 4-4 to get a spot. I doubt we'll go 4-4 though with how this team is playing.

Given the schedule, if we lose more than 2 games (Georgetown and at West Virginia), then they would be bad losses.

 

[RDU Irish]

If we were to finish 19-13 with only home wins (losing four on the road plus opening BE tourney game) it would be a big bubble issue. The more I think about it the more I would think we miss the dance in this scenario.

I have a VERY hard time seeing that happening. I say 6-2 finish and 1-1 in the tourney to finish 22-11 and fourth in the league. The only reason I say that is we are bound to run into one buzz saw, hot night for the other team and lay an egg ourselves (two losses) and we never go deep in the tourney so I don't see us winning more than one.

Quality wins are not the issue, quantity is. Early season losses are always given a lot less weight than how you finish.

I do have concerns if we struggle on the road down the stretch. Seems we always do well at home but have a hard time putting a win streak together on the road. That kills us every year in tourneys.

 

[returnofthemack]

The only good teams left on the schedule are WVU, Nova, and G'Town. They should be able to take two of those games. If they only lose three down the stretch, I think they're a lock. Not that it matters, they'll get knocked out in the first or second round of the Tourney, regardless.

 

[mick2]

The only good teams left on the schedule are WVU, Nova, and G'Town. They should be able to take two of those games. If they only lose three down the stretch, I think they're a lock. Not that it matters, they'll get knocked out in the first or second round of the Tourney, regardless.

pretty much my thoughts here, Brey is an awesome coach, gets us at least 20 w's a year, a decent seed in the ncaa tourney and maybe a round 1 win. I haven't been watching this years team all that much so it could be a different story. but i'll wait and see.

 

[irishfan]

#26 in the new AP per Twitter.

 

[DillonHall]

Per Joe Lunardi, the Irish are in the tournament as a 10 seed.

Bracketology - NCAA College Basketball Brackets and Predictions - ESPN

 

[Wolverine1997]

Something that has always made me scratch my head is Michigan and ND not playing in basketball.

Anyone know why they haven't played much?

 

[returnofthemack]

Something that has always made me scratch my head is Michigan and ND not playing in basketball.

Anyone know why they haven't played much?

Crucial philosophical differences: Our players can read.

 

[BGIF]

Something that has always made me scratch my head is Michigan and ND not playing in basketball.

Anyone know why they haven't played much?

Cause bigotry dies hard.

Yost and Crisler were bigots, sore losers, and UM's ADs from 1921 to 1968. They really didn't want to play ND in anything. And they didn't want them in their conference or for any member of the conference to schedule them.

 

[johnnykillz]

Cause bigotry dies hard.

Yost and Crisler were bigots, sore losers, and UM's ADs from 1921 to 1968. They really didn't want to play ND in anything. And they didn't want them in their conference or for any member of the conference to schedule them.

BOOM!

 

[Wolverine1997]

Cause bigotry dies hard.

Yost and Crisler were bigots, sore losers, and UM's ADs from 1921 to 1968. They really didn't want to play ND in anything. And they didn't want them in their conference or for any member of the conference to schedule them.

Crisler was the AD 44 years ago. I am asking why haven't the two teams played recently. Don Canham was crucial in the revival of the football rivalry.

Canham scheduled ND in basketball immediately when he took over in 1969. The teams met for on the hardwood for about 3 straight years.

The two teams have met in the regular season just twice since 1990: A home and home series in the 1991/92-1992/93 seasons and 2004/05-2005/06 seasons.

Most notably, the first time all five freshman of Michigan's Fab Five was on February 9, 1992. Michigan took on ND on the road and won 74-65.

Hell, might as well play in basketball. I would like to see it. What's ND's student section called?

 

[returnofthemack]

Crisler was the AD 44 years ago. I am asking why haven't the two teams played recently. Don Canham was crucial in the revival of the football rivalry.

Canham scheduled ND in basketball immediately when he took over in 1969. The teams met for on the hardwood for about 3 straight years.

The two teams have met in the regular season just twice since 1990: A home and home series in the 1991/92-1992/93 seasons and 2004/05-2005/06 seasons.

Most notably, the first time all five freshman of Michigan's Fab Five was on February 9, 1992. Michigan took on ND on the road and won 74-65.

Hell, might as well play in basketball. I would like to see it. What's ND's student section called?

Boy wouldn't it be fun to have those ultra-classy scUM fans come to campus twice! What's ND's student section called? Infinitely better than michigan's.

 

[johnnykillz]

What's ND's student section called?

What about Meat Chicken's? Sam's Choice?

Dang Walmart Wolverines.

 

[Wolverine1997]

Boy wouldn't it be fun to have those ultra-classy scUM fans come to campus twice! What's ND's student section called? Infinitely better than michigan's.

You should come to a game at Crisler Center before you make judgements.

 

[returnofthemack]

I've been to crisler. scUM fans are bandwagoners. You said nd basketball doesn't have support and I doubt you have ever been to Purcell. We have more loyal fans for women's bball than scUM has for men's bball

 

[Wolverine1997]

I've been to crisler. scUM fans are bandwagoners. You said nd basketball doesn't have support and I doubt you have ever been to Purcell. We have more loyal fans for women's bball than scUM has for men's bball

Actually I have been to ND for a basketball game. December 2005 when Michigan beat notre dame 71-67.

 

[ACamp1900]

Guys seriously. 97 has been here for a while, he does not troll despite many claiming he does, and yet we often troll him.... Rep ie well boys.... I honestly don't get it.

And I would love to curb stomp more big ten teams in basketball....